


Of Felines And Fealty

by amenokuma (orphan_account)



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Sexual Content, neko!Kanda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-10
Updated: 2013-11-17
Packaged: 2018-01-01 02:11:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1039091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/amenokuma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Yullen/Arekan fractured fairy tale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time there was a forest. This forest was situated between two kingdoms, and the only way to get from one to the other was to pass through it. There was a well-defined path to follow but many people were scared to try because people went in and a lot of them never came back out again.

One sunny day a young man was making his way through the forest. He just happened to be the prince of one of the kingdoms. His name was Allen, and as he moseyed along he made sure to stick to the path, because he had a horrible sense of direction and would often get lost in the castle he'd lived in all his life, much to the dismay of the servants, and then they'd have to drop whatever they were doing and go and find the guy... and it was just a big pain in the you-know-what.

He'd gotten it into his mind to visit the neighboring kingdom on the other side of the forest. Court life could be so stuffy and formal and he felt the need to just get away, so this idea of his came at a good time, because from what he'd heard their neighbors had an abundance of wealth and Allen was always very concerned when it came to matters of money. Not to say he was greedy or anything, but he placed the welfare of his people above all else and his kingdom wasn't faring all that well lately. He wanted to check out their neighbor to see if his country could benefit in any way.

 

Unbeknownst to Allen, as he meandered along the path, he was being watched by two big, dark blue eyes. Those eyes belonged to the creature that went by the name of Kanda. As he watched Allen he was licking his lips, because all he could think at the moment was that this was one fine looking piece of ass and he was _really_ hungry.

Not hungry in the food sense of the word. There was no way in hell he'd eat one of those disgusting humans. He'd toy with them and chase them until they got so panicked they'd go and get themselves hopelessly lost in the forest and die. Anyone who dared to sully _his_ forest with their filth deserved to die a thousand deaths.

It had been so long since anyone had ventured this way and he was regretting having played with too many of them. But this fool…oh, his tail was switching back and forth in anticipation of all the fun he was going to have, because this one looked yummy, downright delicious, and maybe he'd play with him in a _different_ way than the others.

But when Kanda jumped out from behind the trees and landed on all fours on the path in front of Allen he was surprised that Allen _wasn't_ surprised, and the way Allen was giving him the once over was just a little…unsettling.

Being the heir to a kingdom carried all kinds of responsibilities, one of which was to produce heirs. All kinds of beautiful ladies had been paraded before Allen, but they held no interest for him, and since he'd never found any of the men of the castle town appealing he was pretty much out of luck in the sex department, so the fact that he'd never _done it_ yet wasn't his fault.

But this creature…his hair was as long and luscious as his tail, and those ears looked like they were just begging to be nibbled on. While Allen was aware of the plights of his people he was also a young man in his prime with needs and desires, and right now what he desired most was to take this creature and make him his.

Kanda, for his part, wasn't any girly man. He was all male, thank you very much, and had the parts to prove it. And boy, did he want to prove it with this guy. Too bad for the white haired stranger that tonight was a full moon. It always made Kanda horny as hell, and since he didn't have anyone to mate with this would work out nicely. This poor sap's luck was about to run out, and just the mere thought of it had him licking his lips again.

As they were sizing each other up, Kanda was wondering why the idiot showed no signs of fear. He was in Kanda's territory, Kanda was bound to have the upper hand, but this guy was as relaxed as if he thought he could continue strolling through the forest like it was no big deal. Kanda was strong, there was no doubt about that, but he wasn't counting on the fact that Allen might be capable of fighting back.

Because Allen was no wimpy wuss. Being trained to fight was a natural part of his upbringing. Just because he didn't have a weapon with him right then didn't mean he was at a disadvantage. The body could be a perfect weapon, and he'd grappled with the best of them.

Growing tired of their staring contest Kanda unsheathed his claws and lunged at Allen. Allen barely dodged out of the way, but the claws caught the back of his shirt and tore through the cloth, exposing his skin, and red welts began to flare up. Allen hissed and turned quickly to face his opponent who was back on him in a flash.

Allen dropped down and swept his leg out to knock Kanda off balance, but Kanda was too fast and did a backward flip and landed in a crouch before immediately springing back at Allen.

Allen rolled to the side and was back on his feet but Kanda tackled him down to the ground. Allen wedged his knee between them and flipped Kanda over his head and jumped up and turned to dive on top of Kanda. Kanda's claws scraped along Allen's back and he held back a cry and sunk his teeth into Kanda's neck. They rolled and scrabbled on the ground, first one on top and then the other, neither of them giving any quarter.

After about a half an hour of this stupidity they were sitting sprawled out on the ground glaring at each other and they were covered in sweat and grime. Kanda was fuming inwardly because he was all dirty and his cat nature was just screaming for him to lick himself clean, but his insufferable pride wouldn't allow him to do that in front of this _human._

"You're not half bad," Kanda panted as wiped the bloody spit from his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Why, thank you," Allen gasped out, "same to you," swiping a piece of his decimated shirt over his face to mop up some of the sweat running down his cheeks.

"Why won't you just let me take you?" Kanda grimaced as he took in the state of his clothes.

Allen managed a sly smile. "Depends on what you want to do to me."

Kanda answered him with a devilish grin, and just then Allen's stomach cut in with a loud gurgle.

"You can't be serious," Kanda shook his head in disbelief.

"Well this is just great." Allen scowled at his hunger pangs. "I could've been all the way to the next kingdom by now and having lunch if you hadn't waylaid me."

Kanda wasn't having any of Allen's crap. "Seems to me you were itching for a fight just as much as I was."

"A fight wasn't what I was itching for," Allen hinted with a gleam in his eye.

"Oh?" Kanda quirked one eyebrow. "Then what _were_ you hoping for?" Allen's stomach interrupted again and Kanda sighed. "If you come with me to my lair, little human, I just might feed you."

"I'd be ever so grateful, and I'm _not_ that little," Allen retorted as he got up slowly and winced from the pain in his back.

"And I've got something for that," Kanda said as he ignored Allen's last remark and gingerly touched his neck where Allen had bit down. "I need it, too, no thanks to you."

"Your claws are way sharper than my teeth any day." Allen refused to give an inch and their fighting turned verbal as they limped along through the forest to the place that Kanda called home.


	2. Chapter 2

As they approached the entrance Allen glanced at Kanda. _He lives in a cave?,_ and once they were inside he took a look around. There wasn't much, just some straw mats covering the ground and a fire pit in the middle. Kanda busied himself lighting the fire and skewering some rabbit meat he'd already cleaned and stuck the sticks into the ground next to the flames.

While the meat was cooking Kanda dipped a cloth into a bucket of water and wiped off his face and neck and then he ground down some medicinal herbs in a bowl, making it into a paste. He spread it on some large leaves and handed a few to Allen and placed one over the wound on his neck.

Allen stripped off the remains of his shirt, but try as he might he couldn't reach all the spots on his back, so Kanda grudgingly helped him to clean the areas before slapping on the patches. It stung at first, but then the herbs started to soothe the pain.

When the rabbits were roasted Kanda pulled out one stick, indicating that Allen should help himself, and Allen grabbed one and immediately began to devour the savory meat.

Kanda snorted as he watched Allen. "You're just as much an animal as me."

"Never said I wasn't," Allen replied, using his free hand to wipe off the meat juices dripping down his chin. "I'm surprised you cook them, though."

"I'm no savage. I can eat them raw if I have to, but they taste much better when they're cooked," Kanda replied as he chewed slowly on the tender flesh.

When they were done eating they went to a nearby large pool of spring water. Kanda pulled off his shirt and removed his pants, being careful of his tail as he did so. He began scooping up water in a bucket and dousing himself with it. Allen was momentarily stunned by the sudden display of nudity and averted his eyes, sort of, and began to wash his face and arms.

"Have you no shame, man?" Allen muttered off to the side.

Apparently not, because Kanda stopped what he was doing and turned to face Allen, giving him a nice full frontal view, smirking all the while at Allen's discomfort.

"Are you… _embarrassed?"_ Kanda asked as he leaned closer to Allen, the smirk spreading even wider.

"Of course not!"

Allen appreciated the view, indeed he did, but his face was starting to feel a little hot and that heat was also collecting a little further down. This was a problem because he wanted to stay in control, but this asshole just had to go and strip all of a sudden and… _damn,_ he had a nice body.

Kanda was snickering at Allen's quick denial. This guy was too much fun to goad. This guy…

"Hey."

Allen jumped at the sharp tone. "What?"

"What's your name?"

"It's Allen," he replied, looking Kanda straight in the eyes. Yes, best to look at his face instead of, well, _there…_ That beautiful face… _Ah, fuck, I wanna jump him, but I'm tired from the fight, and he knows, oh, the bastard knows the effect he's having on me, flaunting himself like this._

"So, what should I call _you?"_ Allen asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Name's Kanda," and with that he filled the bucket once again and dumped the water over Allen's head.

"What'd you do that for?!"

"You're covered in dirt."

"I was washing up just fine!"

"Maybe, but your pants are filthy." Kanda pulled his hair back into a ponytail and twisted it to wring out the excess water, picked up his clothes and started to walk off back to his cave of a home.

"But now they're all soaked! What the hell am I going to wear?!"

"I'll give you something to put on." Drenching Allen with water had made the small bulge beneath Allen's pants even more visible and Kanda was grinning like crazy as he thought about what he had to look forward to.

"Arrogant ass," Allen mumbled to himself as he stripped out of his pants. He scrubbed himself down and washed his pants as well as he could. Thankfully, the cold water had a shrinking effect on his 'problem' so he was spared any further humiliation as he re-entered the cave.

Kanda was already wearing a shirt, which was longer and more like a nightshirt, and he chucked one at Allen who grabbed it and quickly pulled it over his head. He spread his pants out to dry on one of the mats and sat cross-legged across the fire pit, staring warily at the catboy as he was gnawing on another piece of meat.

"There's some jerky if you want it."

Allen nodded and a few strips flew through the air. Allen chewed on the dried meat for a while, but the tension between them slowly grew.

"So…"

"So?"

"Why're you being nice to me?"

"And by 'nice', you mean?"

"I thought you were trying to kill me, but you bring me here instead, treat my wounds, feed me, and give me clean clothes, so it makes me think you want something in return. Am I wrong?"

"You're not."

"Then what?"

"I wanna fuck you."

"Well, I wanna fuck you, too, but I'm not about to submit, so we may have a problem."

"And that's one of the things I like about you. You're not like all those other lightweight humans who turn tail and run when I toy with them. You've got some guts and it makes me want you even more. And as you said, I've been 'nice' to you so I think you owe me."

"I won't give in without a fight, and if we fight anymore we'll probably be too tired to fuck, so I think we've reached a stalemate."

"Hmm…yeah, but I really don't care," and Kanda pounced.

 

What it came down to was just who could be more stubborn, because they were pretty evenly matched when it came to physical strength. As they wrestled on the mats they weren't getting dirty, at least, but rolling the wrong way would cause unexpected pain when they bumped into the fire pit and sparks would fly through the air and hit their bare skin.

The shirts had been the first thing to go, and every inch of their bodies was suffering the damage, adding to the bruises and scrapes from the first go round. They were resorting to any means necessary to get what they wanted.

Allen managed to straddle Kanda but it couldn't even be called a victory because their hands had simultaneously grabbed hold of very sensitive areas.

"Your family jewels are mine, brat," Kanda huffed.

"Same here," Allen puffed, "so it seems we're once again at stalemate. Any suggestions?"

"…we could jerk each other off."

"Oh, that'd work. My family's pretty much given up on my jewels, but I'm rather attached to them so let's play nice, okay?"

"Sure," Kanda smirked, and their hands began to slowly move up and down their lengths, their eyes locked onto each other.

Kanda bent his knees and Allen slid forward a little in Kanda's lap so their chests were almost touching. Kanda was licking his lips again and Allen liked the look of those lips so he ventured a kiss which was readily accepted.

Their free hands moved over skin and through hair. Allen ran his fingertips along the rim of Kanda's ear and it twitched and a shiver ran up Kanda's spine.

"Stop that," he hissed, and let out a yelp when Allen pinched it.

"Sorry," Allen offered, but he really wasn't now that he'd found a vulnerable spot. His hand pulled Kanda's head forward and he licked the edge of the triangular shape. Kanda shuddered again and then he started to…purr.

Allen chuckled and sucked on the tip, letting his hand drop down Kanda's back to his tailbone. He brushed the fur of Kanda's tail lightly with his fingers and began fondling it as he worked Kanda's member.

Well, Kanda was melting, because his ears and tail were just as sensitive to touch, and he reciprocated by sliding his hand over Allen's ass and pushed his fingers up inside.

Allen arched into Kanda at the intrusion, which made it easier for Kanda to give him more, and they both were having an increasingly difficult time concentrating on the whole jerking off thing.

Allen's fingers found their way under Kanda's tail and up his ass, and they fingered and stroked each other with a rhythm that was steadily growing faster.

And rougher.

Kanda yanked on Allen's member a bit too forcefully and Allen _accidentally_ bit down on Kanda's ear. Kanda snarled and unsheathed a claw giving Allen a _real_ pain in the ass.

Allen retaliated by squeezing Kanda's shaft…and they were off, hissing and spitting at each other like alley cats. It turned into a competition to see who could get who off first, which was kind of stupid if they'd thought about it, but they were just idiots in lust and clearly not in their right minds at the moment. They sped to the finish line and, miracle of miracles, came at the same time.

As they were leaning against each other basking in their afterglow they had yet to notice the sticky mess they had on their hands. When they finally did Kanda groaned and all Allen had to say was, "Eww."

Kanda growled at Allen to not get any on the mats, and Allen pointed out that it already _was_ on the mats, and Kanda just grabbed Allen's arm and dragged him back to the spring and they had to go through the whole cleaning up bit all over again.

 

As Allen followed Kanda into the cave and towards the back he amended his first impression of the place. It wasn't as spartan as he'd thought. In this area was a makeshift set of shelves with clothes, dried foodstuffs, and even some books. The books would explain why Kanda was moderately well spoken, but Allen chose not to dwell on the fact that these things had probably come from Kanda's 'victims'.

Kanda handed Allen another clean shirt after donning one of his own, grumbling all the while about how he was "gonna run out of clothes at this rate." He grabbed a comb and a bowl which contained some nuts and berries and they went back to the fire pit to sit. Kanda began combing his hair, feeling a little more comfortable in the presence of this human, and after he finished his hair he groomed his tail.

Allen munched on the fruits and nuts as he watched Kanda groom, his fascination with the creature only growing by the minute. Kanda was more than aware of the young man staring at him and he finally stopped what he was doing.

"What?" he said as he glared at Allen.

"I was just thinking, for someone who lives in the wild you certainly are meticulous about your appearance."

"I told you," Kanda sighed in annoyance, "I'm no savage, and animals are way cleaner creatures than those filthy humans."

"Am _I_ one of those humans?"

Kanda stared at Allen and then he crawled closer and came to rest behind him. Allen tensed but was surprised when he felt Kanda's fingers playing lightly with his hair and then he heard snuffling sounds coming from the creature. _He's sniffing my hair?_

"Hmm…you have a nice, natural scent about you." Kanda's voice was muffled by Allen's hair, and he took the comb that was still in his hand and began combing it out.

Allen didn't move a muscle as Kanda groomed him.

When Kanda was satisfied he went back to touching Allen's hair, fingering the strands. "It's odd for someone so young to have hair this color. Even old people's hair is usually just a dirty gray. I…like it," Kanda murmured quietly, and Allen turned his head just enough to catch Kanda nodding to himself. "Yes, you should stay here," he muttered some more. "Mine," and he wrapped his arms firmly around Allen.

Well, Allen had no idea what to make of this development since Kanda seemed to consider him as one of his possessions. The thing was, Allen didn't really mind. He liked this guy. There was none of the fussing and fawning over him that went on in the castle and it was refreshing. And then there was the sex. Allen really, _really_ wanted more of that. Just the thought of it made his blood start to boil again, but Allen knew he couldn't stay and he steeled himself for yet another fight.

He sighed and pried himself loose from Kanda's clutches, turning to face him, only to have Kanda glomp onto him again.

"Kanda, I can't live here."

Kanda broke the hug and shuffled back a little. "Don't be stupid. I know you want to."

"I do, but I can't. I can visit…but it's impossible for me to live here."

Refusing to accept this, Kanda said, "Gimme one reason why."

This was starting to feel painful. "Because I've pledged my loyalty to my kingdom and I can't break that oath."

"You choose _them_ over _me?"_ Kanda grit his teeth as his anger grew.

"I didn't say that!"

"I thought you were different but I was wrong. You're just like all the other humans who drove me away just because I'm not like them."

"Was it the people in my kingdom who did you this wrong?"

"No, but it doesn't matter."

Allen remembered Kanda's possessions and found he couldn't really fault the catboy for taking what he probably felt was his rightful compensation. Kanda made no distinctions about which kingdom the humans came from. They were all to blame in his eyes.

"I'm truly sorry for the way you were treated," Allen said, his voice full of compassion.

"Why're you talking like you're someone important? Just who the hell are you anyway?!"

Allen sighed in resignation. "I'm the prince of my kingdom and heir to the throne, and I have obligations and duties that cannot be ignored no matter what I personally want for myself."

Kanda was taken aback for a moment, but then his eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists.

"Then go back to your precious kingdom, _human,"_ he spat out. "I got what I wanted. I don't need you anymore," and he got up and stalked off to the back of the cave.

Kanda was too worked up to listen to reason but Allen didn't want to leave things like this. He had to try again.

"Kanda," he said as he followed behind, "there are people in my kingdom suffering right now. I can't just abandon them. I want to do whatever I can to help them, and that goes for you, too."

He tried to take Kanda's hand, but when Kanda turned his dark eyes held nothing but emptiness and it hurt to look at him. Allen dropped his hand.

"I'm sorry," Allen whispered as he moved away. His pants were mostly dry so he pulled them on and started to remove the shirt.

"Just keep it," Kanda said quietly, and he turned his back to Allen.

Allen took one more look and he walked out of the cave and into the forest, silently cursing the destiny laid out for him. He wandered for what felt like hours, looking up from time to time to try and spot the moon to use as a guide but the trees were dense, and when he did find a clear view of the sky there was a heavy cloud cover. It seemed as if everything was conspiring against him that night.

Suddenly, he heard a soft rustling off to his left, but then he heard a light cough and his lips formed into a bittersweet smile. He followed the sounds Kanda deliberately made as he led Allen but never caught sight of the catboy. When he finally came to the path he called out, "Thank you, Kanda," but received no reply, so with a heavy heart he walked along until he reached his home once more.


	3. Chapter 3

How quickly things fall apart. Allen had been able to forget about his life for a while and truly enjoy himself. But he was home now, with all that entailed, so he threw himself into his duties with a diligence that brought a smile to his father's face. Allen planned to follow up on the whim he'd had that one fateful day, and he made his proposal to the king.

King Mana gave Allen his approval, and Allen set out to investigate the neighboring kingdom. While he walked the path he secretly hoped that he'd meet Kanda, but he never did. He thought about heading into the forest to search for the cave, but feared with his bad sense of direction that he'd become lost. He really couldn't depend on Kanda showing him the same courtesy of guiding him out again, so he stuck to the path even as his heart yearned to do otherwise.

Allen made regular reports to the king about his observations and Mana thanked Allen for all his hard work. The king, however, was becoming increasingly concerned, because Allen showed little interest in other aspects of royal life, and the decrease in his appetite was beginning to be apparent as his face took on a sunken look and his body thinned out.

So Mana called Allen to his chambers one afternoon to root out the cause of his son's behavior. Allen entered and bowed to his father and nodded his head briefly to the man sitting next to him. Cross Marian was his father's long time friend and advisor and Allen was expected to treat him as such, but the man grated on Allen's nerves like no one else had ever done.

"First, let me thank you again for your enlightening reports about our neighbor," Mana began. "The information has been most helpful in the talks I've been having with Marian. I have to say I was a bit apprehensive about you traveling through that forest, but it seems that the threat has disappeared."

 _I wouldn't count on it,_ Allen thought, but just inclined his head in another bow, though the brief flicker in his eyes wasn't lost on Cross.

"And second…I've noticed that you don't seem very happy lately. Won't you tell me what's troubling you, Allen?"

Well, Allen hadn't expected this at all. Was his misery really that noticeable?

Cross took a drag off his ever present cigarette and cleared his throat. "God, Mana, sometimes you can be so thick. All the sighing and moaning when he thinks no one's watching. It's obvious the idiot's gone and fallen in love."

Mana's face lit up, and taking note of the stunned reaction on Allen's face he leaned forward in his chair and asked, "Is this true?"

Now, Cross Marian could be a real bastard most of the time, but every once in a while he said or did something useful, and this was one of those times. Hearing those words spoken out loud cemented what Allen was feeling in his heart, and his smile was a beautiful sight to see as he answered his father, "Yes, it is."

Mana was beside himself with happiness for his son. "That's wonderful! So, when do I get to meet the young lady?"

Allen winced at the choice of words. "Actually, it's a young man."

Cross quirked an eyebrow, coughed and shrugged, taking another drag off his cigarette. "Seems not everyone has my impeccable taste in lovers."

Mana laughed heartily. "Well, that's going to put a damper on you producing any heirs!"

Allen scowled at Cross' remark but was relieved that his father seemed to be taking the news well. It didn't change anything, though. He was still bound to this kingdom and couldn't just run off to live with Kanda even if his father had accepted him. But Mana's next words turned all that around.

"And I think this is the perfect time to tell you what Marian and I have been discussing. I've been considering dissolving the monarchy and turning this kingdom in the direction of a democracy like our neighbors. If we can make this a reality it will be because of all your efforts, Allen."

"But the family…" Allen managed to blurt out in the midst of his astonishment.

"I can just hear them now. They'll call you a madman," Cross smirked at the thought.

"Oh, I'm sure to get an earful from them," Mana chuckled. "That was certainly true when Neah passed away, and perhaps I'm still a little mad, but I will do what I think best for this kingdom, and if they don't agree…well, that's what I have _you_ for, Marian," giving Cross a knowing smile. "But all politics aside, let's get back to your newfound love. Someone I know, perhaps?"

"He's not from here," Allen offered hesitantly.

"The other kingdom, then?"

"Ah, no, not really. He lives more…in between," and with that bit of information Cross understood why the threat from the forest had disappeared. If Mana picked up on it he didn't let it show.

"But I can't really be with him because of my position," Allen added, feeling a little selfish but still hoping for a favorable response.

"Well, we can't have that. Who knows how long this will take and I don't want to keep you from your pursuit of happiness, so as of right now I release you from your oaths to this kingdom and decree that you are now free to choose your own path. I hope you'll continue to serve the people in your own way," and there was a twinkle in Mana's eyes as he added, "and I'll be looking forward to meeting this young man that's captured your heart so."

Tears began to form in the corners of Allen's eyes, and then Mana stood and pulled him into a warm hug. Cross rolled his eyes at the sentimental show, but had to admit he _was_ curious about who Allen's new lover was.

"Then, may I take my leave?" Allen asked, giddy with anticipation. "I'm not sure when I'll be back."

"Of course, and don't forget to tell him to come visit soon." Mana gave Allen a light push. "Off you go," and Allen turned and waved before he disappeared through the doorway.

Cross was chuckling as Mana sat down next to him. "Well, this should shake things up a bit. Give me something interesting to do for once."

"Indeed it shall," and Mana picked up the paperwork they'd been mulling over before Allen had arrived.

 

Allen went to his room and dressed for travel. He changed his mind about the shirt he was wearing and opened the top drawer of his dresser. He picked up the one Kanda had given him and took off his shirt and pulled the other one on and then grabbed a cloak and threw it over his shoulders. He walked quickly through the castle and down the front steps, nodding his head at the greetings he was given as he moved through the castle town.

Out on the road he broke into a run and turned onto the path, following it through the forest as the sun was lowering in the west. When he reached the spot where he'd first met Kanda he stopped, took a deep breath, and with a determined gait he entered the forest. His heart was light and a good feeling was coursing through him, and maybe it was that feeling which guided him unerringly, because for the first time in his life he _didn't_ get lost until he finally stood before the mouth of the cave.

The cave was silent as Allen walked through. He'd half expected Kanda to not be home so he walked back to the entrance and sat down, leaning up against the rocky wall, fully prepared to wait until the catboy showed up again. He wrapped the cloak around him and began to go over in his head what he would say to Kanda, hoping they could reach some kind of reconciliation. Nighttime approached and the forest grew darker and Allen began to nod while keeping his vigil.

 

The first thing Allen was aware of was something irritating his cheek. Something was poking him and he tried to swat it away as his eyes slowly opened. The poking continued and he blinked himself awake. The next thing he noticed was Kanda. The catboy was squatting really close to him with his arms folded on top of his knees, gazing at Allen intensely. Apparently satisfied with his mission accomplished of waking the young man, Kanda rose to his full height and turned away sharply, his hair whipping around and tail barely missing Allen's face.

Allen rose and followed Kanda into the cave. They sat cross-legged at the fire pit, and Kanda picked up a stick and prodded the softly glowing embers to life. He threw the stick on the flames and added more and then they sat in silence as the flickering light played across their faces.

Allen kept glancing at Kanda. The catboy looked like he hadn't been paying as much attention to his appearance. His hair was unkempt and in need of a good combing and his eyes had a dull look to them. It reminded Allen of his own listlessness, and just as he began to feel nervous due to the extended silence Kanda spoke.

"Why are you here?"

"I didn't want to leave things the way they were. I was hoping…"

"That we could be... What? Friends?"

"At the very least."

"But you want more than that."

"Only if you do."

"…"

"Kanda…"

"You think you can just barge back into my life and expect me to welcome you?"

"I don't expect anything, but I don't think I did anything wrong, either. If you hadn't been so possessive and stubborn…"

The spark returned to Kanda's eyes as he glared at Allen. It didn't stop Allen from saying his piece, though. In fact, he was happy to see some life in those dull eyes again.

"I'm not going to ask you to trust me right away, but I'd really like to stay with you. I've been released from my obligations and now I _can_ choose what I want to do with my life. I still want to help the people of my kingdom, but I'm not going to live there anymore. If you don't want me here then I'll just take a place of my own. You're welcome to live there, too, if you ever get tired of this cave, but that's _only_ if you won't let me stay here."

Allen fell silent and gazed back into the fire, but Kanda continued to stare at him for a long while.

"Tch…cheeky brat." Allen opened his mouth to object, but when Kanda smirked at him he shut his mouth and smiled instead. Kanda sighed. "So, you're no longer a prince?"

"I still am, but my father has decided to dissolve the monarchy, but that will probably take some time. Oh, and he says he wants to meet you!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I told him all about you. Well, almost all, and he's fine with it, with…us."

"There's no way in hell I'm gonna go to that place!"

"I can take you there at night. No one will see you…" Allen's voice trailed off as he looked at Kanda expectantly.

"You just don't give up, do you?"

"Nope," and Allen figured now might be a good time to test his luck, so he scooted a little closer to Kanda.

"Just what did you tell him?" Kanda muttered as he allowed Allen into his space. His tail began to twitch and it curled around behind Allen, coming to rest up against him.

"Well, he thinks we're…lovers." Allen winced as Kanda narrowed his eyes. "I didn't tell him that! Someone else said it," he muttered, "but I realized then how deep my feelings for you are and…"

Kanda held up his hand to stop Allen's babbling. Just what _was_ it about this guy? When the white haired fool looked like he was going to start spewing more nonsense about _feelings_ Kanda decided it was time to shut him up. His tail wrapped around Allen's waist and his hand cupped Allen's face and he planted a firm kiss on Allen's lips that made his intentions perfectly clear.

With his tail holding Allen against him Kanda's hands were free to move and he slid them all over Allen's body, one of which groped at Allen's ass.

"You're feeling a little skinny," Kanda muttered into the kiss.

"And you're looking a bit disheveled. Having trouble with the grooming lately?" Allen smirked as he pressed his lips insistently against Kanda's mouth. His hands glided through the dark locks and Kanda grabbed Allen's ass with both of his as his tail flicked off to the side.

The kiss deepened and Kanda's tongue worked its way between Allen's lips, running over the teeth and tickling the roof of the mouth until both tongues met and Kanda captured Allen's and sucked on it.

"Mmm…" Allen dug his fingers through Kanda's hair, grasping him at the base of his neck and dragging him down onto the floor. Kanda nudged Allen's legs apart with his knee, and Allen broke the kiss with a groan from the pressure of that knee grinding against him.

Allen's hands cupped Kanda's face, rubbing his thumbs over Kanda's cheeks. He was feeling generous because of his newly acquired freedom and didn't really care at the moment if Kanda took the lead.

"Go ahead," he murmured, "but next time I get to have _my_ way." Kanda's eyes lit on fire at the mention of _next time._ Allen liked the look of that.

"We'll see about that," Kanda smirked as his hands took hold of the hem of Allen's shirt and began to slowly pull it up.

"Yes, we will," Allen grinned as he raised his body a little to allow the removal of the clothing.

"Horny little brat."

"Kitty cat in heat."

"What was that?"

"You're in heat."

"The other part."

"Kitty cat."

"You…"

"Here kitty, kitty," Allen chanted in a sing-song voice, resorting to his secret weapon. He began rubbing Kanda's ears. Kanda moaned and dropped his head against Allen's shoulder as he started to softly purr.

Allen chuckled and moved one of his hands to the back of Kanda's head, turning it to give him a bruising kiss. They had been apart long enough to desperately want this, and their hearts were beating rapidly.

Kanda's shirt went next and he wriggled out of his pants. He gave Allen a grin as he worked him free of his trousers and sat back on his heels, admiring the enticing body beneath him.

"Um, Kanda…" Allen began, as Kanda's fingers were lightly running over the taut muscles of Allen's stomach and chest.

"Having second thoughts?" A smirk formed on his lips.

"Hell no! It's just, I've only heard about males having sex and I hear it can hurt."

"Hmm…" Kanda looked behind him and spotted a bowl which held more of the medicinal salve he'd used before. "This should do," he said as he dipped his fingers into it.

"Getting hurt much?" Allen snickered.

"Fuck you."

"Yes, please."

Kanda leaned menacingly close over Allen and Allen thread his fingers through Kanda's hair. "Kanda," Allen sighed, "if we start fighting again we're not going to get anywhere, so let's not be dumb for once," hoping the catboy, who was glaring up a storm at him, would agree.

"Hmph, you asked for it," and Kanda slid one of his fingers up Allen's ass.

"And no claws this time," Allen gasped out.

"Shut up," and Kanda's mouth clamped down on Allen's. He was getting a strange feeling that even if _he_ was on top it was _Allen_ who was in control, but he gave a mental shrug and carried on because he really wanted this, too. This human made him feel things. Not hatred, but good things, and that was confusing him, so he did what he usually did when he felt confused. He just stopped thinking and let the animal in him take over.

Allen's hands ran over Kanda's back, fingers digging into the skin when Kanda added a second finger. But as Kanda moved them the salve began to alleviate the discomfort and a familiar soft, furry sensation brushed over Allen's hands. The tail seemed to have a mind of its own and Allen gave it the attention it was seeking, stroking it lightly.

Kanda bristled at this, trying not to give into the sensation and he blindly reached for the bowl and scooped up more of the salve. He removed his fingers and coated his swollen member and pushed Allen's legs apart. Going against all his instincts to _just start thrusting, already!_ he eased into Allen inch by achingly slow inch. It gave Allen the much needed time to adjust and when Kanda was all the way in he stopped. They broke the kiss, foreheads pressed together, as they panted and sweat began to coat their bodies.

"Does it hurt?" Kanda murmured in between short breaths.

Allen shook his head a little. "It's alright now," and he let go of Kanda's tail and moved his hands up through the long hair, urging Kanda into another kiss as he wrapped his legs around the catboy's waist.

That was all Kanda needed to hear and he began to move. Allen started moving as well, arching into each penetration and Kanda slid his hands under the young man and pulled him up into a seated position. Allen came down on him with a cry and inadvertently bit his lip, the metallic taste running over his tongue.

Kanda growled with appreciation as Allen's inner animal was quickly being released. Now they were back in familiar territory and they both let loose. Kanda grabbed Allen's length and stroked it with a merciless grip. He dug his thumb into the slit at the tip and Allen shivered and grunted as he dropped onto Kanda over and over. His hands were firmly tangled in Kanda's hair and every time he pulled on it Kanda hissed and stroked him faster which just made Allen speed up his movements, perfectly in sync with each other.

Kanda could feel Allen's legs begin to tremble with his efforts so he laid Allen down and took over completely, bringing Allen closer to the edge.

Lost in the feel of Kanda's touch, Allen let out a feral growl of his own as he pushed himself against Kanda, so hot and thick inside him. His shaft pulsed in Kanda's hand, and the intensity built deep within. A sudden thrust struck his prostate and it was too much. Overwhelmed with the waves of pleasure running through him Allen screamed as he came and Kanda finished him off with a few more ragged strokes.

Allen's cry stirred the lust in Kanda even more and he was so, so hard inside those tight walls. As Allen came the walls tightened even more, and he gripped Allen by the hips, his length slick with every deep, powerful thrust until he let out a ferocious roar as he reached completion.

Kanda collapsed on top of the still panting body, both of them sweating profusely. Allen was still tightly wound around Kanda and his warm breath wafted over one of Kanda's ears and it twitched a little which brought a chuckle from Allen.

The tail swished over Allen's legs and he laughed at the touch. Lowering his legs he said, "I think your tail likes me."

"Idiot."

"Does that mean _you_ like me?"

"…Just give it up."

"You know, Kanda, I really like you. I even think I lo..."

"Enough."

"You're not going to say it, are you?"

"Why should I?"

"I suppose you don't need to." Allen's tongue licked over the corner of the ear and he whispered playfully, "since your tail already told me."

Kanda propped himself up at that and glared at Allen. He reached for one of their shirts and wiped them off and slowly pulled out. Kanda laid on his side and Allen rolled over and shifted up against him. The tail-with-a-mind-of-its-own lazily fell over Allen's waist.

"Does the cave get cold in the winter?"

"It's months away and you're already thinking about that?"

"I'm already thinking about a lot of things."

"Tch…not really. I just block up the entrance more. I'm used to it, but it might take some getting used to for a human," adding with a smirk, "be nice having an extra source of heat, though."

"You ass." Allen trailed his fingers over Kanda's ear and the catboy responded with a quiet purr. Allen moved closer and kissed Kanda's lips and the purring grew louder for a minute before it tapered off into a steady hum of contentment as they began to dream of many more days and nights of the same.

 

And so the changeover from monarchy to democracy began in earnest, garnering much debate among the nobles, and while the king and his advisor took care of their end Allen worked as an intermediary between the castle and the general populace. As things began to gradually fall into place Allen was seen less and less in the castle town, and when winter finally arrived it was a mild one, as if giving its blessing to the two lovers, and Allen spent this time sequestered with Kanda in his new home.

Spring blossomed in all its glory and people began to take the path connecting the two kingdoms more frequently, having been assured that the threat was gone. From time to time these travelers caught fleeting glimpses of their prince as he wandered among the trees, accompanied by someone they couldn't quite make out. They had heard tell of this new love, and with no wish to disturb them they hurried their footsteps to leave them in peace as the prince and his catboy lived out their happily ever after.


End file.
